‘Vunipola gives you go-forward like no other in world rugby’
BEFORE he heads home to Australia, former Gloucester head coach Laurie Fisher has been casting his eye over England’s line-up and believes barnstorming back rower Billy Vunipola can now genuinely lay claim to being among the half-dozen world-class performers England will need to win the next World Cup.
Fisher reckons England are rapidly closing the gap on New Zealand and identifies Vunipola’s Saracens club mates Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje as others to have emerged as global superstars.
Fisher, who returns to Australia next month after quitting as Gloucester head coach, said: “Itoje’s a wonderful player, well on the way to being the world’s best in his position, and Owen is world-class too.
“Billy Vunipola at No.8 offers something different and you’ve got three there who have put their hands up as being world-class.
“As Eddie Jones said when he first came into the England job, there are a lot of good players in the Premiership but he actually needs five or six who are the world’s best and over the next 12 months I expect you’ll see a few more.”
Fisher argues Vunipola is now in the same conversation as New Zealand No.8 Kieran Read, the World Cup winner he will most likely face while representing the Lions against the All Blacks this June.
Fisher said: “Read operates more in the wide channels and has the offload game or will cut a line off his nine close to the gain-line. He’s got long arms and good skill there, but Vunipola’s effectiveness to his team is right up there as well.
“For starters, he carries very hard into contact. There are a lot of back rowers who will take cheap yardage by gathering kick returns and carrying 15 metres before contact, but while Billy makes fewer metres he’ll really bend the gain-line.
“He’ll take the ball flat to the line, go through the brick wall and provide genuine go-forward ball, which in turn provides a tremendous opportunity for a side to change direction and get quick ball to play off going into the next phase.
“That was a hallmark of Sarries against Bath last weekend; for Vunipola to be able to play flat, hard and poke his nose through. That’s an outstanding feature of him and I don’t think there’s anyone in world rugby doing that stuff better.”
England must wait to prove themselves against New Zealand, but Fisher believes Jones’ side are well on track for World Cup glory in 2019.
Fisher, who once worked under Jones at the Brumbies, explained: “They’re very capable of challenging New Zealand now and England are getting to the point where, in a couple of years, there’ll be little between the sides.
“Eddie’s changed personnel a little bit, though not a whole lot, but he’s been very clear on how he wants them to train. Their skill-sets are improving all the time and he’s basically driven the same group of players to another level.
“Selection is a challenge because England are so well resourced player-wise, but it ensures nobody will be in a comfort zone thinking their place will be safe and if Eddie gets the best out of them they’ve a massive chance in 2019.”